Is there any possible way to perform upgrade when Product codes for old and new versions are same?

We have two installers build in WIX with the constraint that Product code has to remain same. On doing an upgarde from old to new, I get an error, "The specifile account already exists."

Does WIX allow any workaround for me to achieve an upgrade while keeping my product code unchanged.

Solution 1:

It depends what you mean by "upgrade" but there is no such thing as a major upgrade where the ProductCode stays the same. Keeping it the same is not a constraint, it's against what a major upgrade does. You should say why you believe it's a constraint to keep it the same, and if you decided it's a solution to a problem you haven't told us about.

The error message is from a WiX util CreateUser custom action of some kind. You haven't specified what you have changed in your MSI file, but if you are just running your new MSI and it's got the same ProductCode then you are probably doing a repair, and that repair is running the CreateUser again and telling you it already exists. You should supply more info about your CreateUser.

You'll also need to say what kind of upgrade you are doing (major, minor?) and if it's minor then what is your command line?

Solution 2:

Minor Upgrade: That is just a minor upgrade - a different form of MSI update from the more commonly used major upgrade. Info about Patching & Upgrades (in general).

Complex & Limited: There are a number of restrictions for minor upgrades that make most people end up using major upgrades. Essentially a minor upgrade can add new features and components, but cannot reorganize the feature-component tree. But wait, there are many more restrictions:

• Minor upgrades can not change the MSI file name, it must match the previously installed version. I always end up banging my head against this one having forgotten the restriction, hence this specific mention.
• Some further limitations as capably explained by Flexera's help file: Major Upgrade vs. Minor Upgrade vs. Small Update (third column).
• Aging, but good content from installsite.org on the same topic: Windows Installer Updates and Patches.
• MSDN description of limitations: Changing the Product Code
• Advanced Installer's Creating Patches list of limitations and restrictions (applies to minor upgrades in general as well as minor upgrades delivered as patches).

Installing Minor Upgrades: A minor upgrade can be delivered as a regular MSI or as a patch file. The standard command line used to install a regular MSI file:

msiexec.exe /i MySetup.msi REINSTALLMODE=vomus REINSTALL=ALL

Maybe see this Flexera help file page for some more details on installing minor upgrades (some Flexera-specific stuff, but mostly generic). That is where the above command line is from.

Personal Opinion: Let me end with a subjective observation. I find minor upgrades excruciating for real-world use, and I have only successfully used them for "hotfixing" (just update a couple of files with no other changes), and to fix errors in installed product's uninstall sequences which prevented them from successfully uninstalling. In these cases the minor upgrades became so simple that they worked reliably. In order to deliver a real-world product with only minor upgrades, a lot of care, foresight and discipline is needed (not to mention a patient and insightful product manager who will understand these technology limitations and what they mean for real product deployment).

With all that said, let us not underestimate the huge, corporate benefits of MSI (beyond mere upgrading issues and related details):

• The Major Benefits of MSI (compressed - "executive summary")
• The Corporate Benefits of Using MSI Files (elaborate and verbose)